11 Mar 2011

Semenya says she's on track to retain world title

11:36 am on 11 March 2011

South Africa's 800-metre world champion Caster Semenya says she's ready to defend her title in South Korea in August after winning her first ever 400m race.

20-year-old Semenya won a 400 metre race in Cape Town in a time of 54.03 seconds.

She says she's training towards retaining her world title and good enough to do it.

Semenya says she's still recovering from the back injury that stopped her competing at the Commonwealth Games in India last October.

Semenya, who underwent gender verification tests following her Berlin world championship triumph and did not race for almost a year, plans to defend the world title in South Korea in August.

The probe into her gender was made public by the IAAF shortly before the athlete won a gold medal at the 2009 world championships, thrusting her into the global spotlight.